GOURME FOOD COMPANY recently introduced their first of a kind, non-aerosol Gourme Mist 100% Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray , offering a fine mist spray to coat sauté pans, dress up salads and add flavor to fish, meats and breads. The most common problem when trying to flavor foods is often adding too much salad dressing or too much oil. GOURME MIST addresses this problem in an environmentally friendly oil mister that controls calories and fat while delivering flavor. One serving adds just 4 calories and one gram of healthy fat. Contains no additives or chemical propellants and the package can be recycled. (866) 502-8472, www.gourmemist.com.

Healthy and Organic Foods & Snacks

PALERMO’S new line of Organic Hearth Italia Pizzas were created to deliver an Artisan style pizza similar to those found in the Italian countryside, using only the freshest and cleanest organic ingredients. Each variety combines distinctive cheeses, herbs and vegetables with a delicious flavorful crust that is baked in an Italian marble – hearth oven, creating the air pockets and a crispy bottom. These are some of the best tasting pizzas ever tried! Three delicious varieties to choose from: The Sorrento (Tomato & Basil), The Combo (Feta & Spinach) and The Tivoli (Three Cheese). If they are not carried in a store near you, the company makes the products available for purchase directly on their website. (414) 643-0919, www.palermospizza.com.

CHRISSY’S HEALTHY COMFORT FOODS offers a line of delicious and nutritious, fair trade, raw, vegan chocolates made with high quality organic ingredients. Each box contains six tasty, handmade chocolates with different toppings. The products tried: Nutritious Nuts, Bountiful Berries, and Amazing Assortment. All varieties were so good they left me wanting more. The tangy combination of berries mixed with chocolate was my favorite. The chocolate is smooth and creamy and melts in the mouth. It was hard to believe this much flavor could be packed into a bite sized delight that was sweetened only with agave nectar. (516) 312-2078, www.puredelights.com.

ULIMANA offers a full line of handmade 100% raw and organic chocolate truffles, brownies, and bars that are naturally sweetened with agave. Launched in 2005, the company's intention was to bring deliciously nutritious products to the marketplace, and they have achieved their goal. Rich in flavor with a heavenly sweet-chocolate taste, these products will satisfy the most discriminating chocolate lover. Varieties include: Peppermint Truffles, Cacao Nib Truffles, Hemp Berry Chocolate Brownies with Mulberries, Hemp Nut Chocolate Brownies with Walnuts , and many more. The company also produces a smoothly rich Truffle Butter that can either be enjoyed by itself or as a topping on cookies, cupcakes, and other baked goods. The company recently introduced Chia Moon Drops, a scrumptious chewy snack that combines dates with coconut. ULIMANA's newest unveiling is their Lemon Fig Pecan Bars, which are so good, they can be habit forming. These lemony-sweet, soft and chewy bars are superb to include on a platter with assorted chocolates. ULIMANA is an innovative company that produces many mouth-watering treats your guests will rave about. (828) 713-3469, www.ulimana.com.

LUNA AND LARRY’S COCONUT BLISS produces a premium line of organic vegan ice cream, made with coconut milk instead of dairy or soy, and sweetened with agave syrup (with the exception of the Mint Galactica, which contains a small amount of organic cane sugar and agave syrup). Flavors include: Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge, Vanilla Island, Mint Galactica, Cappuccino, Naked Coconut, and Strawberry Lemon Love. Four varieties were sampled: The Chocolate Hazelnut Fudge has a delightful chocolate flavor with chunks of hazelnut. The Mint Galactica is refreshingly cool and minty, with sprinkles of chocolate. The Cappuccino has a wonderful smooth coffee taste, and the Naked Coconut is richly flavorful, with soft pieces of coconut. Coconut Bliss has a low glycemic level and provides an excellent alternative to dairy and soy-based ice creams. (541) 345-0020, www.coconutbliss.com.

KOPALI ORGANICS produces two lines of snacks that are 100% organic, vegan, rich in vitamins, antioxidants and fiber, and are sustainably harvested and fairly traded. The chocolate line includes: Chocolate Covered Banana, Chocolate Covered Goji Berries , and Chocolate Covered Mulberries . Each variety contains dark chocolate and sweetened with evaporated can juice, is easy to chew, and has its own unique sweet taste. Our tester favored the Chocolate Covered Mulberries. The Supergood Superfoods consist of 100% organic dried fruits packed with nutrients and extreme flavor without any sugar or preservatives added. Five delicious flavors to choose from: Mango, Pineapple, Goldenberry, Mulberry, and Mix. Each purchase supports sustainable farmers, their families, and their communities. (305) 751-7341, www.kopaliorganics.com.

FINE & RAW offers Organic Raw Dark Chocolate using healthy conscious ingredients to keep raw vitality, and is absent of sugar, dairy and additives. These are bitter dark chocolates lightly sweetened with raw blue agave nectar, with the addition of virgin and cold pressed coconut oil and Himalayan sea salt. Available in 78% & 83% Ecuador Cacao, 78% + cacao nibs, raspberry, lucuma & vanilla. The company also offers Raw Chocolate BonBons . Each BonBon has a creamy center covered in dark chocolate. Very healthy chocolates found to have therapeutic properties. Great products for those who like the taste of dark chocolate! (646) 894-2929, www.fineandraw.com.

LARABAR manufactures Jocalat , an organic line of bars that takes chocolate in its purest form and harmonizes it with fruits and nuts. The line is 85% raw, gluten, dairy and soy free, vegan and kosher. Available in 6 flavors: Chocolate Coffee has a bitter sweet taste of chocolate covered espresso beans with a smooth coffee taste. The chopped walnuts and hazelnuts give it a crunchy texture. Chocolate combines rich chocolate with cashews, almonds and walnuts and sweetened with dates. Chocolate Mint mixes chocolate and crunchy almonds with the refreshingly cool flavor of peppermint. Chocolate Orange has a unique flavor combining chocolate and tangy orange with almonds. Chocolate Cherry is a blend of tart cherries and chocolate The almonds and walnuts give it a crunchy texture. Chocolate Hazelnut is a sweet tasting bar with the combination of hazelnuts, almonds and dates. Each flavor contains no more than seven ingredients. There are no added sugars, and is free of dairy, soy and gluten. (800) 543-2147, www.larabar.com .

DEVINE FOODS delivers raw enzyme power in their line of organic Prana Energy Bars. Raw foodists and health enthusiasts will like these great tasting and healthy bars. They are rich in enzymes and sweetened with agave nectar, known for its low glycemic index. The line comes in six varieties: Apricot Goji is 75% raw and has a sweet, moist fruity taste with chunks of cashews. Cashew Almond is 55% raw with somewhat crunchy and chewy texture and nutty sweet flavor. Apricot Pumpkin, a 75% raw bar is sweet with lots of pumpkin seeds. Pear Ginseng is an energy bar that is 70% raw containing a blend of fruit, nuts and seeds and sweetened with date paste. Cinnamon Apple, a 75% raw bar has a great cinnamon flavor with a crunchy texture and is not as sweet as the other bars. Coconut Acai is rich in antioxidants, contains 75% raw ingredients, has a unique nutty/coconut flavor and a crunchy texture. All of the bars’ contain active enzymes and are free of gluten, soy and are vegetarian. (800) 440-6476, www.boomibar.com, www.pranabars.com.

Jeffrey
Schiller is a special feature columnist and writes for health and environmental
publications across the nation. He can be reached at: jeffreys@aztecfreenet.org